Tail stocks for milling machines



April 7, 1964 E. MoEN TAIL STOCKS FOR MILLING MACHINES Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1962 April 7, 1964 E. MOEN 3,127,815

` TAIL STOCKS FOR MILLING MACHINES Y Filed July 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rfb/ Ween?,

/f INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 1 Claim. (Cl. 941-23) My invention relates to the tail stock covered in my Patent No. 2,970,524, issued Feb. 7, 1961, and the present application is a substitute for my application tiled on October 3, 1955, under Serial Number 537,971, now abandoned. The present application describes a simplied form of the structure in the patent. In the latter the upper part of the tail stock was movable transversely by means of a slide mounted in the lower part or base; and a vertical adjustment was procured by means of a longitudinally positioned shaft 41 controlled from the rear by a linger knob 411. In considering the present structure, it is one object thereof to eliminate the transverse movement within the tail stock by mounting the same in a part of the milling or other machine which has its own transverse adjustment.

A further object is to incorporate a control similar to the shaft 41 and finger knob 41]c in the patent into the base of the tail stock and in a very simple manner.

An additional object is to dispose the control referred to transversely of the tail stock and render it operable by means of simple tools.

With the above objects in View, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a top plan View of the improved tail stock;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the meeting portions of a shaft and its continuation shown in the lower portion of FIG. 4.

As in the patent, the base of the improved tail stock is indicated at and 11 shows a longitudinally directed rib or key situated substantially midway between the sides of the base 10 and depending from the same for insertion in a slot usually made in the bed of a milling machine for disposing the tail stock for adjustment between front and rear positions. It is understood that for the present purpose the slot will be made in a part of the milling machine base which is adjustable transversely, as previously mentioned.

It is noted in FIG. 4 that the base 10 is built up with a pair of side walls 31 and 32 between which a block 30 is vertically movable. As in the patent, the block contains a frontal cross-bolt 34 which passes through vertical slots 31a made in the said side walls for purposes of guiding and retaining the block in relation to them. A rear cross-bolt 34 is carried by the walls 31 and 32, but the block is chambered in the rear as indicated at 12 to clear such cross-bolt when the block is in its lowermost position, as indicated in FIG. 3.

The block 30 is designed to rise slidingly from the position indicated in FIG. 3, and receives a feed screw 47 identical with that in the patent, except that the spiral side pinion 42a is now disposed on a transverse axis with respect to the tail stock and immediately to the front of the toothed center pinion 43a. Thus, the turning of spiral pinion 42a causes toothed pinion 43a to rotate and operate the screw 47 which meshes' with the threads of a sleeve 30a made fast in the block 30. This induces the raising 3,127,815 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 or lowering of the stock. The tail stock is balanced by positioning the axis of the screw directly above the bottom rib 11, that is, midway between the sides of the base; and the stem 43b depending from the pinion 43a now iinds its ball bearing 44 directly in the base 10, whereas the patent shows a slide 14 containing the bearing.

Reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 shows that an assembly similar to that seen in the center of FIG. 6 of the patent is employed, dealing with a feed shaft 41.. The latter is chambered axially from the inner end as indicated at 41e` to receive a rod 41b forming the inward extension of an outward shaft section 41a, the spiral pinion 42a being an integral part of this section. A set screw 41d applies through the shaft 41 to fasten the rod 41b; and a pair of diametrically positioned lugs 41e extend into a similarly positioned pair of notches 41f made in the inner face of the pinion 42a in order for the shaft 41 to become keyed to the section 41a while separable if desired. The shaft 41 is made with a head 45 at its outer end, such head having a slot 46 for the application of a screw driver; and the section 41a of the shaft is made with an enlargement 48 at its outer end formed with a socket 49 in which a key-wrench may be inserted for operating the section 41a. The face of the enlargement 48 is calibrated as indicated at 48a in FIG. 2 in relation to an origin line 48h made on the side wall 31.

It will now be apparent that the space in the lower part of the tail stock is occupied by the transversely disposed feed shaft 41 and its continuation 41a, such shaft and continuation being below the bottom position of the block 30. Thus, the latter may be raised clear of such shaft and continuation when either the shaft 41 or the section 41a is operated. The tail stock is therefore made with a vertical adjustment which is not only of a more massive character than was possible in the patent, but the control is now journaled in the side walls of the tail stock and approachable from either side thereof for adjustment. Finally, the control has been simplified by making the spiral pinion 42a and the shaft section 41a integrally.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minor changes or renements may be made therein without departing from its principle, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes and reiinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

I claim:

A tail stock for milling machines having a base, side walls rising from the same, a block movable vertically between the side walls carrying a pivotally adjustable center pin, a vertical screw threaded into the block and rotatable to raise and lower the same, said screw having a center pinion at the bottom thereof, a transverse shaft carried by the tail stock adjacent to said center pinion and journaled with end portions in said side walls, a spiral pinion carried by said shaft in mesh with the center pinion in order to actuate said screw when the shaft is rotated, the base having a cavity in its upper face and seating a ball bearing, and a stem depending from the center pinion and securing a rotary support in the bearing.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,521 Boynton Feb. 14, 1893 1,432,410 Oakley Oct. 17, 1922 1,477,179 La Ducer Dec. 11, 1923 2,242,978 Moen May 20, 1941 2,677,401 Schwaneke May 4, 1954 2,970,524 Moen Feb. 7, 1961 3,014,391 Fuhrman Dec. 26, 1961 

